Leadership Program for ESOP CEOs and Presidents

The ESOP Leadership Program for CEOs at the University of Pennsylvania is unique. In 2003, Dr. Virginia Vanderslice (Penn faculty since 1990) facilitated 14 CEOs of ESOP companies from around the United States who were invited to meet at Penn to design and launch the program. The program has remained true to its original goals of enhancing ESOP company leadership as a core component of ESOP company success; providing ESOP leaders with an environment where they can share their successes and challenges with other ESOP company leaders; and building a wide network of ESOP leaders who can continue to be a resource to one another long after the formal program ends.

A distinguishing feature of the ESOP leadership program at Penn is its structure: intensive, interactive on-campus sessions at two times during the program year and structured visits to participants’ companies throughout the program year. The on-site component of the program, as well as the small size of each cohort, is essential to its effectiveness: program participants learn from one another as well from program faculty, talking with one another about the challenges their respective companies are facing and best practices developed to drive their success. 

With more than twenty years of experience, the ESOP leadership program draws its faculty from various schools and departments at Penn as well as leading universities and firms throughout the country. The core faculty also have deep roots in employee ownership, with connections that extend back to the late 1970s, and they have well-established commitments to advancing the theory and practice of employee ownership in the United States and abroad.

To maintain the quality of instruction and peer networking, the program will continue to limit participation to 20.  For 2026, the first onsite session will be held July 13 to 18, and the second will be held December 7 to 11. All sessions will be at the Penn Campus in Philadelphia.

The program is open to CEOs or presidents (or the designated future CEO or president) of companies that have ESOPs in place. Those interested in the 2026 course can learn more at the program’s homepage or fill out the intake form below to be notified when slots are available for the 2026 cohort. You will be contacted by the program's leader, Dr. Virginia Vanderslice. 

While continually evolving to reflect the best knowledge and experience regarding leadership of employee-owned companies, the ESOP leadership program’s strength is its commitment to its five founding principles and practices: 

• PRINCIPLE: Leadership matters. Leadership—like ownership—must be distributed widely throughout the enterprise, but the unique role of the CEO as the leader of the employee-owned firm cannot be minimized and needs to be supported.
• PRACTICE: The program will remain deeply focused on leadership development and network-building for current and incoming CEOs and presidents of employee-owned companies.
• PEDAGOGY: The program is distinguished by a combination of extraordinary participant interactions, provocative presentations, and thoughtful feedback. Participants discuss what matters to them. A special atmosphere is created where robust discussions promote meaningful relationships among participants who serve as an ongoing resource—personally and professionally—for other participants long after the university’s formal program ends.
• PROFESSIONAL: Faculty with deep knowledge of and experience with employee-owned companies is essential for a world-class educational program if it is to be useful and transformative for ESOP leaders and their companies. But, equally important are faculty who can facilitate the kinds of discussions that enable CEOs to share who they are and what they know with their peers throughout the country.
• PROMISE: Leaders drawn to this program are special because they are undaunted by the challenge of self-reflection and ongoing learning. They believe that searching deeply within themselves for foundational values is key to the external expression of the many dimensions of leadership. They believe that lifelong learning is essential for personal growth and for the success of the employee-owned enterprises that they lead.

This program aims to coordinate with the valuable work being done by many organizations, including the ESOP Association, the Employee Ownership Foundation, Employee-Owned S Corporations of America, the Aspen Institute, Kent State University’s Ohio Employee Ownership Center, the University of California-San Diego’s Beyster Institute, the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, and more. 

Rutgers University, through its Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing has long collaborated with Penn faculty in support of the program. Melissa Hoover at Rutgers says, “The leadership program at Penn is a critical piece of field infrastructure. As the University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership takes shape, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Penn and offering faculty speakers to the program.” 

Matt Helmer of the Aspen Institute writes, “The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program is excited to see this important collaboration between Penn and NCEO that equips leaders with the unique skills and capacities needed to help employee-owned companies succeed. The Penn ESOP Leadership Program for CEOs exemplifies a powerful approach that aligns with the Economic Opportunities Program's commitment to leadership development through experiential learning and peer-based exchange and supports our shared vision for building a fairer economy through employee ownership."

Chris Cooper of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University writes, “For many years, the program at Penn has been the gold standard for leadership development for employee-owned companies. There have been a number of Ohio companies that we’ve referred to the program, and those that have attended have always spoken well of the experience. I also know many of the faculty personally (and closely) and can attest to their thoughtful and detailed approach to helping leaders from EO companies meet their challenges. We’re excited to see this new level of collaboration from the broader EO community for the program and look forward to being a part of it.”

Kim Blaugher of the Beyster Institute at the UCSD Rady School of Management writes, “Leadership is the key ingredient to a successful ESOP company. The ESOP leadership program at Penn is the premier opportunity to refine and expand the knowledge required to be a successful ESOP leader. We look forward to collaborating with Penn, Rutgers, Kent State, and other academic institutions to provide leading ESOP and employee ownership academic course offerings.”

"My time at the UPenn CEO program was transformational.  The world-class instructors have a proven track record of success and foster a culture of transparent discussion, while maintaining a protective dome of silence within the group. I attended the program in 2022, and I am in contact with someone from our group almost weekly. We still get together in person once a year and have quarterly Zoom calls. The friendships and peer counsel formed in those short two weeks are the most significant benefit of all."

— Billy Duren, Thread Fasteners Inc.

“This program is a must for any incoming, high-potential and seasoned CEOs who would be interested in growing.”

— Dave Wright, Hunter-Davisson

“This program presentation was the best leadership course for the ESOP CEOs. I have personally grown as an individual, made more lifelong connections with other CEOs, and have been set on a path to be a successful and effective leader!”

— Heather Braimbridge-Cox, Windings